Many competitive runners (and some not-as-competitive runners) swear there are performance benefits to be had by running in light-weight shoes. The lighter the better, and consequently the lower the running time.
Cutting weight from running shoes can’t get much lighter than Swiss sportswear brand On and its new “spray-on” shoes made using robotics that spray polymers into complex shapes. On’s Cloudboom Strike LS weighs about 100g lighter than other popular running shoes of the same size. Using robotics and unique materials also cuts CO2 emissions by 75% compared to manufacturing other racing shoes.
On sprays the shoe’s uppers from a thermoplastic that can be sprayed by a robot in one long movement onto a standard foot mold. It can then be attached to the carbon-fiber and foam rubber sole using heat instead of glue. This eliminates the need to stitch together multiple pieces of fabric and takes roughly three minutes to assemble. There are no laces, tongue, or heel-cap, giving the shoe a translucent, sock-like appearance.
We’ve seen spray-on textiles used for custom-fit dresses and costumes before this, but not shoes. Spray-on fibers have also been used in the beauty industry – think “hair in a can” that can be used to conceal bald spots.
Cloudboom Strike LS costs $300 a pair and is targeted to the serious runner market. Olympian Kenyan athlete Hellen Obiri wore the shoes to win the Boston Marathon, and then again to win a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics. Weight matters.
Let’s run!
Group Activities and Discussion Questions:
- Poll students: Have they traveled by train
- Show website: https://www.on.com/en-us/lightspray?srsltid=AfmBOoqz06S8CRtgIHMX4I9Zt_dwDSNZhWBWjsAEtjMdHCIcnPMra9d0
- There are a number of videos on the website that show how the shoe is made and performs. Show these in class.
- Discuss the importance of clearly defining a target market.
- For this product, who is the target market?
- Divide students into teams and have each team develop a profile of a target customer. Include demographics, psychographics, behaviors, values, attitudes, etc.
- Based on the target market profile, what makes this product unique for those customers?
- Have teams develop a marketing campaign for this product and market.
Source: Dolan, L. (17 July 2024). Marathon-winning ‘spray-on’ running shoes could shake up Olympics. CNN; Moss, T. (2 November 2024). Made in three minutes, feels like a sock: Are spray-on sneakers the future? Wall Street Journal.
